The “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”

Last October, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” a floating island of refuse between California and Hawaii. Recent estimates put the patch at twice the size of Texas, with 80 percent of the content a) plastic and b) originating on land.

Things That Can Go in the Kitchen Recycling Bin

Plastic bottles (water, soda, milk, salad dressing, etc.)- but leave the caps off.  Recycling plants throw out bottles with the caps on, as they cannot be recycled

Beer bottles

Bottle caps (they are aluminum)

Aluminum cans

Glass bottles or jars

Plastic containers (take out containers)

Plastic iced drink containers (that Starbucks venti mocha frappacino cup) 

The plastic cups by the new water cooler

Milk cartons (just found that one out today)

Tip: Composting can dramatically cut down your garbage

Composting your kitchen scraps can seriously cut down on the amount of times you have to empty your trash (meaning you’re sending less garbage to landfills). 

The Lower East Side Ecology Center accepts dropoffs at Union Square every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as on the weekends.  More information can be found here: http://www.lesecologycenter.org/composting_dropoff.html

If you’re worried about the potential smell, you can keep a “scrap bag” in the freezer.  Not only will this keep the smell at bay, but your freezer also runs more efficiently with more items in it, saving electricity as well.